


You are Rocket

by EmilliaGryphon



Series: Guardians of the Galaxy One Shots [9]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy - Fandom, MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, gotg
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 21:50:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12308520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon
Summary: A more angsty but very similar version of "Of Trees and Trash Pandas." Basically another way Rocket would react to seeing a raccoon Groot comforting him. Sorry for the repetition!





	You are Rocket

“What’s a raccoon?” He asked them once, a long time ago. From all the times people taunted him with it he’d come up with some ideas as to what the thing was. He imagined a beast like an orloni, naked and small. He’d imagined something large and lumpy and slow. Never had he imagined something like this. A small furry creature with his exact features and exact markings. Now it stood before him, eyes small beady and stupid. Rocket felt rage and fear well up inside him, bile as stinging as his own self-hatred. This, this thing that was what he was after all. He reached for his gun, aimed and fired away at every memory, every shot, every scaple, every nightmare. He didn’t even blink when the creature let out a pitiful surprised sound and fell. He shot again, the gun vibrated in his arms as he trembled. 

“Rocket….” Peter warned. Gamora shook her head, looking away as he fired more rounds at the already dead animal. “Rocket!” Drax shouted. Rocket heard none of them. He fired, over and over and over, blowing it all to hell. The blood and other substances coming from the holes in the creature only tickled his nose.

“Aaaaahhhh!!!” He cried walking closer to where the creature lay. 

“Enough Rocket, come on man, it’s dead.” The gun fired more times, shells falling around his own paws. The gun clicked, stalled and gave out. He dropped it, rage red against his mind as he ran, on four legs and pounced atop the bloody, furry mess, driving his claws into it. No, this isn’t me, this is not who I am….no…his mind raced. 

“Rocket enough!” Rocket struck several more times each scratch filled with venom. Until there was no more to be spent. His body shook with the sudden absence of adrenaline. On his paws and knees the small creature shook, eyes filling with tears. His shoulders shook, each breath wracked with a misery he’d always tried his hardest to hide. No point in hiding it now. Now that he was vermin indeed. He closed his eyes, the darkness filling him. Several feet away Gamora, Peter, Drax and Groot watched helplessly. 

“What do we do…?” Peter wondered, shaking his head. Groot looked at them with a stern look none of them had seen before. Without a word he stepped forward, letting his vines down and around Rocket’s body. The creature did not resist, shoulders going up and down with his cries. Groot took him up, cradeling him against his chest. 

“I am Groot.” Shhh….shhh Little Rocket…

“V…vermin…” Rocket coughed between sobs, “rat….filth…” Groot slowly touched the top of Rocket’s head between the ears, gently stroking him as vines formed a protective cocoon around them. The flora colossus walked back, sparing a look Gamora, Drax and Peter. 

“I am Groot.” I will take care of him. Go back to your business. 

Groot walked, holding the crying raccoon until they were out of sight.  


“A…a beast…” Rocket whined through his tears, tail stiff. In Groot’s embrace he curled on to himself in a tight furry knot. Groot gently stroked his fur, looking down at his friend. Rocket the one who always had a plan, who was so rough, who could never be brought down by anything, Rocket who was a genius. He was so small now, so scared of himself. 

“I am Groot.” You are not a beast, or any of those other things. 

“You s…saw it!” Rocket fired, glaring at him through narrow puffy eyes, his anger was weak compared to sorrow and doubt though he tried his best. “A raccoon….is nothing but a pest.” 

“I am Groot,” the tree crooned. “You are not a raccoon.” Rocket blinked, looking up in confusion, the severity gone from his face but his little furry body remained strained. Groot reached down, holding his best friend’s face in both hands, one vine wiping away the tears. The flora colossus tried to speak, forcing his hard wooden throat to try and bend in the way that would form the words. The words he so desperately wanted to say. Rocket shivered in his arms, the vitriol so potent Groot could weep. He tried again, 

“I…y…yy….G…roo..Roo…” Rocket’s brow furrowed, looking up at him blankly. Groot tucked him in closer against his chest and again tried once more. 

“I…y…y..a…are…” Rocket shook his head, biting his black lips. A choked sob came from Rocket, Groot swallowed forcing the words out slowly. 

“You….are….Rocket.” Rocket blinked, removing his head from his burrow and looked up at Groot, mouth agape. The tree smiled. The enhanced raccoon sniffled, scratching at his suit. It always suffocated him but he wore it anyway, anything to try and pass as something other than a freak. It was pointless now. He took it off, sending the thing falling to the ground. He let out a breath of release, instantly feeling the weight off him. Groot stroked his fur. 

“I am Groot,” you are Rocket. You are my best friend, you are a guardian of the galaxy, a genius, a master tactician and marksman.

“I shouldn’t have killed that raccoon,” he whispered. 

“I am Groot,” No. You shouldn’t have. 

Rocket shook his head, wrapping his tail around himself in Groot’s embrace. Groot held him there and would do so for as long as need be. For as long as it took his best friend to learn to love himself. But if he could not do it, then Groot would. He closed his eyes, sprouting pink flower buds and gingerly plucked a petal from where it grew above his heart. In one graceful motion he placed the flower on Rocket’s head tucking it behind his right ear. The raccoon blinked, smiling sadly. Groot had watched humans for a time and other alien species who interact with their loved ones. He watched them express affection and that emotion many called love. Groot leaned down, and put his face to Rocket’s head in a small kiss and nuzzled him. 

“You are Rocket. I am Groot.”


End file.
